# "I am not a..."=intelligent. IANA = stupid. So stop using it, all of you.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 5, 2006, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121 "2006-02-05T18:35:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/1 "2006-02-05T18:35:58Z")
Some abbreviations are necessary on the internet. You can’t always tell sarcasm from serious comments, so a smiley or LOL helps fight ignorance. But , dammit, —how hard is it to type “I am not a” ??? It’s only 6 keystrokes more than IANA, and it gives you that wonderful , smug feeling of knowing that you are communicating intelligently in the English language. Fighting ignorance is easier when you do it coherently and with good grammar; You can actually read and understand other peoples’ comments that way. Gee, that felt good to get off my chest. I W8 4 Ur answers. (see, I just proved my point.) ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/2 "2006-02-05T18:38:08Z")
You know whats going to come of this, don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/3 "2006-02-05T18:41:44Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > …LOL helps fight ignorance. What? You can’t type “laughing out loud” ya lazy bastard? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/4 "2006-02-05T18:42:54Z")
heh. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/5 "2006-02-05T18:52:44Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > LOL helps fight ignorance. I guess everyone has a different threshold. “IANAL” or “IANAD” doesn’t make me blink, for two reasons: One, it’s just a pro-forma disclaimer. Two, it at least _expands_ into some form of english expression. “LOL,” on the other hand, really doesn’t fit into the flow of normal discourse. You could type “Ha!” in the same amount of time and get the intended thing across. You can only read “LOL” two ways, either expand it into “Laugh out loud,” which is jarring: “What he was doing in my pajamas, I have no idea.” “Laugh out loud!” Uh, okay. Usually, though, I parse it as the sort of vocalization made by someone that, while of a cheerful disposition, is profoundly retarded. LOL! _drools_ ---
**Author:** ![Nature\_s\_Call](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nature_s_call/32/19006_2.png) [@Nature\_s\_Call](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nature_s_Call)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/6 "2006-02-05T18:56:57Z")
IANA Grammer Expert but IIRC the SDMB PTB IRL would LOL if the MMP were free of acronyms. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/7 "2006-02-05T19:03:30Z")
I like it because it’s only ancillary to the dsicussion, and abreviating it allows the eyes to quickly absorb the intent and then move on to the meat of the matter. YMMV. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/8 "2006-02-05T19:13:31Z")
> [@Nature's Call](#): > > IANA Grammer Expert but IIRC the SDMB PTB IRL would LOL if the MMP were free of acronyms. The rest I got, but what’s PTB? ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/9 "2006-02-05T19:14:15Z")
> [@dwalin](#): > > The rest I got, but what’s PTB? Powers That Be? ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/10 "2006-02-05T19:22:36Z")
IANAD isn’t annoying. What’s annoying is when someone types, for instance, “IANAZ” and then follows it up immediately with “(I am not a zoologist)”. What’s the point? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/11 "2006-02-05T19:41:13Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > \ > Fighting ignorance is easier when you do it coherently and with good grammar; You can actually read and understand other peoples’ comments that way. > \ For the record, I couldn’t understand your title. I get it NOW, but it was very difficult to parse. And, btw\*, you don’t need a capital after a semi-colon. 😃 \*I’m just using this to tweak you. I almost never use acronyms here. I type for a living, and I figure I can always use the practice. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/12 "2006-02-05T19:56:30Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > “LOL,” on the other hand, really doesn’t fit into the flow of normal discourse. You could type “Ha!” in the same amount of time and get the intended thing across. From a time perspective possibly but from a keystroke perspective, no. “Ha!” requires two hit-and-releases on the shift key where LOL only requires one. It’s more complicated to type and thus may take longer. > [@Dominic Mulligan](#): > > IANAD isn’t annoying. What’s annoying is when someone types, for instance, “IANAZ” and then follows it up immediately with “(I am not a zoologist)”. What’s the point? Many people mercifully have gotten away from this and just do “IANAZoologist.” ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/13 "2006-02-05T20:05:57Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > Many people mercifully have gotten away from this and just do “IANAZoologist.” Yeah, that’s good English. For all that is holy to Og and Shakespeare–if you can type “zoologist”, then you can type “I am not a”. IANA is just plain ugly. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/14 "2006-02-05T20:48:21Z")
Personally, I think using an equals sign for “is” rather than “is equal to” looks profoundly ignorant. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/15 "2006-02-05T20:49:48Z")
MPSIMS. ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/16 "2006-02-05T20:56:23Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > MPSIMS. Y? OIC. ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/17 "2006-02-05T21:20:22Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > MPSIMS. I ws betting on BBQ but that’s just MHO. ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/18 "2006-02-05T21:33:13Z")
Of course, I meant “was”. I admit some abbreviations throw me off, such as IIRC and IRL. I have to think a moment before I realize what they mean. I only just this week realized that MMP means Monday Morning what? Prattling? Palaver? Well, I’ve almost got it. While I don’t use many internet abbreviations myself, I don’t mind them much. I like LOL because, to me, it denotes the sound of laughter. “Ha, ha, ha!” is cumbersome to type and just “Ha!” is usually meant to suprise someone or to express cynacism. Besides, at least you don’t see too much Leet Speek here. Now that’s something worth a rant about its use and the user’s intelligence! ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/19 "2006-02-05T21:41:58Z")
> [@Nature's Call](#): > > IANA Grammer Expert but IIRC the SDMB PTB IRL would LOL if the MMP were free of acronyms. UR Not a Spelling Expert Either. Unless you wanted to tell us that you are no authority on actors who play psychiatrists in sitcoms. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-a-intelligent-iana-stupid-so-stop-using-it-all-of-you/343121/20 "2006-02-05T21:48:08Z")
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